Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computation for Conservation - Grade 7

A Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computation for Conservation is needed in the research group of Dr Jenny Hodgson https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/infection-veterinary-and-ecological-sciences/staff/jenny-hodgson/, with a preferred start date of June 2024. This role will push forward computational methods in conservation, and will suit someone with a background either in population dynamics theory or in Bayesian methods. You will work with a local and international team of collaborators who cross disciplinary boundaries, and your skills will help towards a globally important impact: biodiversity recovery.

The post is available until May 2026 at a salary of £38,205 - £44,264 depending on experience (Grade 7), with possibilities for further extension.

Informal enquiries are welcome by emailing jenny.hodgson@liverpool.ac.uk.

About the role

New computational methods are needed for spatially planning conservation when the climate is changing. The fundamental mechanisms of population growth and dispersal are still not included in models that can realistically be used for planning for thousands of species. Planning includes deciding where to protect, where to restore, and/or where to restrict damaging human activities, and it is critical to decide wisely, because despite past conservation efforts, biodiversity is still declining.

Dr Hodgson and her collaborators have started to develop a promising new method which is intermediate in complexity between laborious spatial simulations and simple correlational ‘climate envelope’ approaches. This PDRA will develop the ideas into an operational method, testing it on both simulated species and real species, and comparing the outcomes to existing methods. We will publish results as scientific papers, and archive our code so it can be used widely. We expect our outputs will be highly influential in the field of quantitative ecology and conservation, especially as the availability of data to fit such models is expanding rapidly. There are many possible avenues of future research once the main objective is achieved, and we will encourage the post-holder to suggest directions that interest them.

The role is based in the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour at the University of Liverpool, and will benefit from our adjacent Centre for Computational Biology.

About you

You will have a proven ability to develop innovative theoretical and/or computational methods. The most relevant methods are population dynamics theory (e.g. integrodifferential equation models or point process models) and Bayesian statistical methods (customising routines rather than simply using Bayesian packages, could include MCMC, SMC and ABC). You will have advanced skills in at least one programming language, so you can both implement the new method and generate simulated spatial population data to test it. You will have achieved a Doctoral-level qualification (or expect to pass within three months). You will have an interest in how species survive the threats of land-use and climate change, and motivation to help conservation, but not necessarily an in-depth background in ecology.

We welcome diversity in the applicants that see themselves as suitable for this post. We hope that the full job description, person specification and application questions will make it clear whether it is good for you, but if questions remain, feel free to enquire by email.

Closing Date: 11 April 2024

For full details and to apply online, please click the 'Apply' button, above.

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